Sensational. Spectacular. In April she couldn’t even run. A lumbar ailment had sent her to the stretcher and she couldn’t train. Excessive gym workouts had short-circuited her preparation and she arrived out of shape, in theory. But she is a top competitor. A wonderful athlete who opened the Spanish medal tally at the European Championships in Birmingham. Marta García from León (28 years old), a trained doctor, earned her doctorate again by winning silver in the 5,000 meters final with a time of 15m39s98. Two years ago in Rome she won bronze and this time she climbed one step higher. As in 2024, at the top was the untouchable Italian Nadia Battocletti (15m37s84), who defended her title. “You had to believe it like in the Football World Cup and I believed it. Everything went as I wanted, I gave the maximum I could. I was always where I had planned during the race,” said García. Behind her, the bronze medal went to the Italian Micol Majori (15m40s65).
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Battocletti was the right wheel and when the Italian made the decisive pace change, with less than a lap to go, the Spaniard followed her. She couldn’t catch her, not by a long shot, but in her wake she gained ground to secure the runner-up spot. She had barely raced this summer. But at the Spanish Championship in Málaga a few weeks ago she began to reconnect with herself and regained her feelings. The subsequent training only confirmed that her form was optimal.
“You had to believe it like in the Football World Cup and I believed it,” said García
In theory, a fast race suited her and it started very slow. Almost sluggish. The pack was large. There was a risk of bumps and shoves, which there were, but Marta García did not lose her composure. First positioning herself in the middle of the pack. Then, when it suited her, moving to the front to stir things up a bit and then seeking the back of a Battocletti who only needed to accelerate for 300 meters to win comfortably. 3m20s the first kilometer. 3m17s the second. 3m18s the third. An easy pace for almost all the finalists. Until the Dutch Koster took the lead and things started to heat up (3m00s the fourth kilometer).
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A pace that not everyone could keep up with anymore. García saw it clearly. It was time to stay close to the favorite. She managed to improve on what she achieved in Rome. At the same time, she made up for the disqualification this winter at the World Indoor Championships in Torun. Water under the bridge. As is her lumbar injury, the one that left her bedridden for a few weeks. She returned in time to get on the podium. A matter of legs and brain. She was not the only Spaniard in the final as María Forero finished eighth (15m44s25) and Idaira Prieto finished ninth with 15m44s89. “The level of the girls in Spain is tremendous. I was inspired by the men’s 5,000 from yesterday (Monday) and I knew I had to save as much as possible. It went perfectly,” García summarized.
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